


Dying flames

by Shi_no_tamashii



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Death, Emotional Hurt, Fire, Gen, Hurt, More Death, Sadness, a lot of fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-17
Updated: 2015-05-17
Packaged: 2018-03-30 23:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3956365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_no_tamashii/pseuds/Shi_no_tamashii
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fire is beautiful destruction. And now it had ended the life of both the young Fire lord and his uncle.<br/>*warnings: Character death. Don't like, don't read</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dying flames

Fire had burned everything away. His honor. Every warm feeling he used to feel. Even his face had seen how beautifully destructive fire could be. Fire had long since killed him but he kept on searching aimlessly, sailing through icy waters. Even the cold water could not sooth the burning heat. After all those years of looking for someone who had been thought dead, the former fire prince finally found what, or rather who, he’d been looking for. Now thinking back, staring at his reflection in the freezing water, the fire lord knew how he had wasted his time. He’d made up for it by helping the Avatar defeat his father and claim his rightful place on the throne. Though it still didn’t calm the blazing flames.

“We’re almost there, my lord.” The captain of the ship they were standing on suddenly said. The fire lord gave a curt nod before falling back into the endless abyss that were his thoughts. Two full weeks had past and the young lord had fallen into a depressing state of grief. Word had come out that it happened. His most feared nightmares now reality. He was the last of his bloodline. General Iroh had passed away. Those devastating words had shook him to the core, not wanting to believe any of it. He’d cried his eyes out when no one was nearby but kept a stoic expression when someone was present. It was true, Fire Lord Zuko didn’t talk much and he preferred the solitude of his study room. The servants could only watch as the lord, their lord, never came out of that room for days on end when finally the door opened and Zuko came out, two weeks had passed and his uncle had already been buried. Immediately telling one of the servants to inform the captain of his old ship that he was setting sail to one of the Fire nation’s temples, there where his cousin Lu Ten and now Uncle Iroh lay.

“He died in his sleep, sir, I doubt he even noticed.” A servant said through the door of Zuko’s study trying to comfort his lord. Everyone in the palace could feel the mournful waves of grief floating through the giant building. Everyone felt sad for the loss but Zuko seemed to be affected the most.

“He knew.” Zuko had muttered barely audible. The servant hadn’t heard it but the spirits who were in the room with him had. A piece of paper clutching between his fists Zuko could only think about the paper’s contents. It was a letter from his uncle. The curly handwriting and words were burned into his mind’s eye.

_“I am sorry to say that my health has been failing me as of late, my dear nephew. But I assure you that it is nothing serious. I do not require immediate medical attention and I want you to stay in the palace, I’ll be going on the little journey soon and I want you to know that the lovely lady I met in Ba sing se has been of great help and thus there is no need for you to send someone to accompany me. Her laughter is so wonderful! She even says my tea is the best she has ever tasted. At least one to appreciate my tea and guess what, nephew, Jasmine is her favorite too! Stay strong, you are doing great. I hope we will meet again soon, my son.”_

The first time he read the letter Zuko knew this was a goodbye. For one, his uncle always ended with an ‘until next month, Fire Lord Zuko,” This time it ended with ‘my son.’ Zuko had felt his heart drop and immediately send one of his men to Ba sing se. When the messenger came back with those words Zuko had dreaded all along, time stopped. Health hadn’t been failing him at all. Iroh had been given a warning of what was going to happen and merely wished to say one last goodbye. He had died in his sleep, true. He died because someone with a want for vengeance had found his way into Iroh’s house and burned the place to the ground. No one even knowing the old man was still inside.

But unbeknownst to Zuko or anyone else, Iroh had been aware of the fire starting. He could have escaped the flames using his firebending. But all Iroh did was smile at the dancing flames before they consumed him. Death was nothing to be feared and his time had come. There was no need to run from ones fate. Death embraced him and Iroh accepted gladly knowing his nephew could manage on his own now.

That was not true.

Fire Lord Zuko had died right with him.

Fire had burned everything on his path until finally it claimed him.

**THE END**


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